Hello Friends, thanks for dropping by for the Sunday Night Check-In. We have four new subscribers - glad you’re here. Always feel free to say hello in the comments!
We are on the brink of July 2025! It’s hard to believe that the end of June is upon us and July is around the corner. This year is on a racetrack, I think! Although I love Fall and Winter more, I know a lot of folks are big on Summertime. Enjoy it!
Last week I gave away almost 700 copies of my book Lord, Hear My Prayer! I pick up free e-books when I can, so I know most of these will be reserved “to read later,” but I hope all who read it find help in praying through the Psalms. There is also a JOURNAL to go along with it that will be of assistance (LINK). If you picked up a copy and enjoy it, please leave a review on Amazon and GoodReads. That is more helpful than you can know! Thanks for helping me go to #1 in three or four categories … however… it doesn’t stay there long!
In Last Week’s Edition, I ruminated upon the passing of a man of great influence in my life (and many others), Cecil May, Jr. One of his contemporaries and someone who I had as a teacher at Magnolia Bible College was Fenter Northern. Fenter was a close friend of Cecil and they enjoyed a lot of time together. Fenter passed away a few days after Cecil. Fenter was a prominent presence in my MBC years and someone I admired. He was an enthusiastic and passionate preacher of the gospel. I did not have the benefit of meeting his first wife, but his second wife, Sue, was honestly one of the most delightful people I have ever met. In every class I attended that was taught by Fenter, she was there (She passed away in 2012). I’ll share two stories about Fenter.
Fenter was one of my first teachers at MBC. I believe the class was the Book of Acts. It was a full class even at our small college - a required course. It came time for the mid-term exam. I took about 15 minutes, signed it, and turned it in. I distinctly recall the looks that the other students gave me, but I went on my way. At age 17 I knew everything, of course, so if they couldn’t answer the questions too bad! I was called into Brother Northern’s office the next day. He asked me if I had ever taken a comprehensive exam. I grew up in south Louisiana public schools and I was not in any advanced classes (I’m still not advanced in much of anything!). I had never taken a comprehensive exam! I told him, “No sir.” He said, “I thought not. I’m looking for a page of written answer for each of these questions, not two sentences.” I thought he was going to let me take it again, but instead he let me learn my lesson with an F. I worked hard and got that grade up. That was a good introduction to college study.
Fenter drove a maroon Chevrolet Monte Carlo. It was actually pretty sharp. He drove in from Greenwood, Mississippi, where he was the beloved preacher of the West President Drive Church of Christ. Some of us were gathered in front of the classroom building at the college when brother Northern came wheeling in. Several of us started laughing because of the car tag he had on the front bumper. When he came in one of us (maybe me) said, “Brother Northern, where did you get that car tag?” He said, “Oh, I saw it at the store and liked it. Just a rabbit in a tuxedo.” Actually, it was the recognizable symbol of Playboy magazine. Yes, we did inform him and I don’t think I saw it on there the next week.
He was crisp, sharp, a wordsmith, a poet, and a revivalist. I read where someone supposed that he really didn’t want to miss coffee with Cecil, so he went to be with him. Cecil passed at age 93. Fenter was 96. Two old soldiers of the cross, and two men who influenced me greatly. (Fenter’s Obituary).
FORSYTHE
At Forsythe this morning we had the second of our messages from 2 Peter 1:5-7, Habits of Holiness. Today’s habit was KNOWLEDGE (Notes & Audio Here). Today we began a collection in earnest to begin the expansion of our fellowship hall. All “fifth Sunday” offerings will go toward this needed project.
LISTENING
If it wasn’t for Jesus, God knows where I’d be Still tryna find healing in all the wrong things Thinking I knew ‘bout freedom with chains on my feet All rhyme and no reason All me and no meaning If it wasn’t for Jesus Don’t know why You ever you ever did it Trading places with a cynic Gave your life while I dismissed it But in my mess, or in my doubts You reached through hell, You brought me out I doubt I’d still be here right now If it wasn't for Jesus...
WATCHING
ALONE has surprised me this season. I think this terrain is more difficult for survival than the wilderness areas they are usually in. We concluded our binge through the six seasons of LOST this afternoon. That last episode gets me every time. I’m not alone. There is even a Lostpedia with over 7,000 articles about LOST! I don’t know if I’ll watch it again, but it holds up over time. Here’s a fan-made trailer for Season One. Ok, I’m going to watch it again…sometime.
READING
This week I read The Edge: A Story of Grief, Grit, and Grace by Joshua Powell. This compelling story really had me hooked and I enjoyed the suspense and the process of it. Powell is a pastor in South Mississippi. I really liked his book Bayou Refuge, which I mentioned sometime several months ago. Looking forward to more from his pen. I also read Real Faith for Real Life: A Study of the Book of James. Scott Bayles has a talent of putting his Bible studies into informative books, and has been doing this for a while! Glad I found his books (Amazon Author Page). He has some other interesting titles and GREAT covers! In our Bible reading program I am finishing Luke, will read Amos, then 1 Chronicles.
OTHER STACKS
Devon Comp on That Time a Bartender Ministered to Me
Joel Miller: Whatever Happened to the Semicolon?
Brian Causer’s heart moving Discipleship in the Wild: “As you are going…”
Debi Hassler recalls The Incredible Mr. Morris
Tanner Olson waxes on about The Donut
In Case You Missed It, My Post: Search Me - a reflection from Psalm 139.
WHAT’S NEXT?
At this moment the new book A HOLY LENS is being edited and hopefully will be available in the next month or so. That newsletter will come to an end in the first week of July. HOPE REMAINS will undergo a transition and I’m not 100% sure in what ways. One thing I don’t want to do is plan so much that I’m always trying to get something out. So … it’s all up in the air right now. At this moment I’m thinking that whatever comes naturally is what’s going to show up. Some weeks that might just be this Sunday Night Check-In, and I’m ok with that. Sorry to ruminate out loud here taking up your time!
Thanks for reading - I appreciate it especially if you have read this far! The night owl has done his work. Night owls and early birders all welcomed here. Take care, friends. Work hard, rest well, and stay connected. The world needs you.
Those books all sound interesting. I might have to check one out when my Amazon link is working again.
I'm sorry about the loss of your mentor, Fenter. He sounds like a godly man. I'm sure he has experienced many great moments in the church over his lifetime. There must have been a great party when both of them arrived in Heaven in such a short time!